More WWE News: The Future Of The ECW Brand, WWE vs. Jesse Ventura

– According to Pwinsider.com, WWE is working on a deal that could change the current landscape of the company. WWE and SyFy have had preliminary meetings regarding the rebranding of the ECW series, which would include dropping name and brand “ECW”. SyFy has noticed the dropping ratings since the debut of the show, and with the current TV deal ending in December, WWE is looking to improve ratings and freshen up the product. There was talk of a “magazine style” show, which was shot down, and the most recent pitch is an hour long show focusing exclusively on brand new talents. SyFy was very behind the brand when it debuted with a rating of over 2.0, but with the rating now averaging around a 1.0, the appeal has been lost.

– There are also talks about making changes to the Smackdown brand, but there are no specifics on what the changes may be. The feeling is that the guest hosts gimmick has added depth to the Raw show, and that changes to Smackdown have to be made. [Credit: Pwinsider.com]

– WWE Hall of Famer Jesse Ventura made an appearance on ESPN Radio Monday, and discussed the fact that WWE performers are labeled as independent contractors, but actually aren’t since they cannot work anywhere else. World Wrestling Entertainment spokesperson Robert Mitchell spoke to the The Hartford Courant about Ventura’s comments, stating…

“We find it highly hypocritical that Jesse had no problem coming on Monday Night Raw last week to promote his new project or was happy to be paid all those years by the WWE as a performer. He is just looking to garner additional press for his fledgling show, appropriately entitled ‘Conspiracy Theory.'”